For many parents, a lack of access to affordable, high-quality and reliable childcare prevents them from pursuing an education. But good news is on the horizon for parents interested in pursuing their education at the University of Delaware.

With support from the UD Graduate College, the Division of Student Life and the Office of Institutional Equity, the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood Education (DIEEC) and Early Learning Center (ELC) has received a federal grant to provide childcare access to undergraduate and graduate student parents. As part of the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program, this grant will provide $2 million over the next four years for the establishment of campus-based childcare services for Pell Grant-eligible college students.

At UD, the grant will support childcare scholarships and family support programs at the ELC for the children of eligible parents interested in pursuing a UD education. With operating hours from 7:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., the ELC provides research-informed, play-based care and education for infants and children from birth through second grade.

Rena Hallam, director of DIEEC and CEHD professor, will lead efforts to develop these programs for eligible UD families in partnership with the directors of the ELC, the UD Graduate College, UD faculty and other UD institutional leaders.

To learn more, read CEHD’s full announcement.